• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.42-49
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of Red Ginseng-Ejung-tang Water Extract (ER) on cytokine production in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: Levels of various cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-2, IL-12p70, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were measured by high-throughput multiplex bead array cytokine assay based on xMAP (multi-analyte profiling beads) technology. Results: ER significantly decreased levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-2, IL-12p70, VEGF, and MCP-1 for 24 hrs incubation at the concentrations of 25, 50, and $100{\mu}g/mL$ in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells (P < 0.05). But ER did not exert significant effects on production of MIP-2, KC, TNF-${\alpha}$, and GM-CSF in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusions: These results suggest that ER has an anti-inflammatory property related with its inhibition of cytokine production in LPS-induced macrophages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.194-201
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• 2016

The anti-inflammatory activity of ethanol extract from Chondrus nipponicus Yendo (CNYEE) was investigated by measuring production of a lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response mediator. CNYEE had no cytotoxic effects on proliferation of macrophages compared to the control. CNYEE significantly inhibited (over 50%) NO production at $50{\mu}g/mL$, with inhibitory effects on expression levels of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), and IL-$1{\beta}$. In particular, IL-6 inhibitory activity of CNYEE was higher than 70% at $100{\mu}g/mL$. CNYEE also reduced protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ in a dose-dependent manner. CNYEE also significantly reduced phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Therefore, these results suggest that CNYEE may have anti-inflammatory effects by modulating the NF-${\kappa}B$ and mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathways and may be used as an anti-inflammatory therapeutic material.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.66-74
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• 2007

Background: The genus Flavivirus consists of many emerging arboviruses, including Dengue virus (DV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and West Nile virus (WNV). Effective preventive vaccines remain elusive for these diseases. Mice are being increasingly used as the animal model for vaccine studies. However, the pathogenic mechanisms of these viruses are not clearly understood. Here, we investigated the interaction of DV and JEV with murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (bmDC). Methods: ELISA and FACS analysis were employed to investigate cytokine production and phenotypic changes of DCs obtained from bone marrow following flavivirus infection. Results: We observed that these viruses altered the cytokine profile and phenotypic markers. Although both viruses belong to the same family, JEV-infected bmDC produced anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) along with pro-inflammatory cytokines, whereas DV infection induced production of large amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$) and no IL-10 from murine bmDCs. Both flaviviruses also up-regulated the expression of co-stimulatory molecules such as CD40, CD80 and CD86. JEV infection led to down-regulation of MHC II expression on infected bmDCs. We also found that cytokine production induced by JEV and DV is MyD88-dependent. This dependence was complete for DV, as cytokine production was completely abolished in the absence of MyD88. With regard to JEV, the absence of MyD88 led to a partial reduction in cytokine levels. Conclusion: Here, we demonstrate that MyD88 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of flaviviruses. Our study provides insight into the pathogenesis of JEV and DV in the murine model.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.899-907
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• 2022

Quercetin is one of bio-flavonoids which are abundant in fruits and vegetables and has been reported to have various pharmacological potentials such as anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, and anti-virus effects. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects and its working molecular mecha- nism of quercetin were investigated in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Quercetin significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cell viability and decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, quercetin decreased phosphorylation of p38, JNK, and ERK, and inhibited phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 protein and its inhibitor IκBα indicating that quercetin has the anti-inflammatory effects via regulation of MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathway. We also detected expression changes of four kinds of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (CSF2, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) with quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that quercetin decreased the expression of four pro-inflammatory genes in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Overall, our results showed that quercetin effectively suppressed inflammation responses induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells via regulating MAPK and NF-κB pathway and down-regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1514-1518
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• 2003

Angelica sinensis radix, Danggui, is a traditional oriental medication, which has been used to modulate immune response. We report here that aqueous extract of Angelica sinensis radix (ASR) can induces NO production, and inhibit LPS-induced NO production in dose-dependent manner in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. ASR also induces iNOS mRNA and iNOS protein expression, and exhibit inhibitory effect on iNOS mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Cytokines involved in the regulation of inflammatory reaction and immune response may play a role in the pathogenesis. ASR induces. pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression (IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-6 gene) in a dose-dependent manner, and inhibits the expressions of these cytokines in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. These data indicate that (1) ASR may be a potential therapeutic modulator of NO synthesis in various pathological conditions, and (2) the immunomodulatory effects of ASR may be, in part, associated with the inducing or suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expressions.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.267-273
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• 2014

This study found antibacterial activity of $DMfree^{(R)}$ [green tea extract] on facultative bacteria by direct petri dish method and gene array of obligatory M. leprae infected mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). While DMfree showed DPPH radical scavenging effect and high contents of polyphenol, it did not inhibit growth of facultative bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus on the petri dish. The result does not exclude a possible antibacterial effect of organic solvent extract of green tea rather than DMfree which comes from the water extract of green tea. Pre-treatment of DMfree appeared to have no effect on copy number of 14 genes compared with control MSC by real-time RT-PCR. However pre-treatment of DMfree on M. leprae infected MSC revealed a significant decrease of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6), (P<0.038) and sharp down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1). Enhanced expression of VEGFR-1 mRNA was noted in DMfree pretreated M. leprae infected MSC group (P<0.003). These results show that DMfree would stabilize M. leprae infected MSC from further inflammation by down-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) and pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-$1{\beta}$). This is the first report on DMfree inhibition of IL-6 and IL-$1{\beta}$ expression in M. leprae infected MSC. Further experiments that detect protein levels of IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 may support the result of this gene array.

• The World Journal of Men's Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2016

Purpose: We compared a transperineal ligation model and a transperitoneal ligation model in male rats to determine which animal model of overactive bladder (OAB) was more useful based on cystometrography, estimations of oxidative stress, and measurements of pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Materials and Methods: Male rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=15 in each): the control group, the transperineal ligation group, and the transperitoneal ligation group. Four weeks after the ligation procedure, cystometrography was performed and oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and histologic changes were evaluated. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring 8-hydroxy-20-deoxyguanosine and superoxide dismutase, and pro-inflammatory cytokine activity was investigated by measuring levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$. Results: The transperineal model led to results similar to those observed for the transperitoneal model, namely (1) increased voiding frequency and reductions in the non-voiding contraction interval and the maximal vesical pressure, (2) increased levels of oxidative stress markers, (3) increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and (4) fibrotic changes in the bladder tissue. Conclusions: We suggest that the transperineal procedure can be used as an alternative OAB model in male rats.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.164-173
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Hyperglycemia is a major cause of diabetes and diabetesrelated diseases. Sodium butyrate (NaB) is a short-chain fatty acid derivative that produces dietary fiber by anaerobic bacterial fermentation in the large intestine and occurs in foods, such as Parmesan cheese and butter. Butyrate has been shown to prevent obesity, improve insulin sensitivity, and ameliorate dyslipidemia in diet-induced obese mice. Therefore, this study examined the effects and mechanism of NaB on the secretion of inflammatory cytokines induced by high glucose (HG) in THP-1 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: THP-1 cells were used as an in vitro model for HG-induced inflammation. The cells were cultured under normal glycemic or hyperglycemic conditions with or without NaB (0-25 μM). Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate the protein and mRNA levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, acetylated p65, acetyl CREB-binding protein/p300 (CBP/p300), and p300 using THP-1 cells. Histone acetyltransferase (HAT), histone deacetylase (HDAC), and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion activity were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: HG significantly upregulated histone acetylation, acetylation levels of p300, NF-κB activation, and inflammatory cytokine release in THP-1 cells. Conversely, the NaB treatment reduced cytokine release and NF-κB activation in HG-treated cells. It also significantly reduced p65 acetylation, CBP/p300 HAT activity, and CBP/p300 gene expression. In addition, NaB decreased the interaction of p300 in acetylated NF-κB and TNF-α. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that NaB suppresses HG-induced inflammatory cytokine production through HAT/HDAC regulation in monocytes. NaB has the potential for preventing and treating diabetes and its related complications.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.2878-2882
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• 2012

Amentoflavone is naturally occurring bioflavonoid that is found in a number of plants. In this paper, the anti-inflammatory activity of amentoflavone in LPS-stimulated macrophages and its mode of action were examined. Using LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells, we found that amentoflavone exerted anti-inflammatory activities through inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 secretion. Amentoflavone (1.0-20 ${\mu}M$) gradually inhibited nitrite production without cytotoxicity. Amentoflavone (1.0 and 10 ${\mu}M$) effectively suppressed both TNF-${\alpha}$ and MIP-2 cytokine release from LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The expression of mIL-$1{\beta}$ and mMIP-2 cytokine mRNAs was completely inhibited while expression of mMIP-1 was effectively suppressed and mTNF-${\alpha}$ expression was slightly inhibited by 10 ${\mu}M$ amentoflavone. We also demonstrated that the innate immune response to amentoflavone involves the toll-like receptor (TLR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. LPS-induced upregulation of p38 MAPK phosphorylation was significantly reduced by 10 ${\mu}M$ amentoflavone. These results suggest that amentoflavone exhibits effective anti-inflammatory activities through regulation of TLR4 and phosphorylation of p38 MAPKs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.1053-1060
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• 2017

The present study examined the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of Pinus koraiensis (PK) cone shell extracts in vitro. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of PK cone shell extracted with hot water, 20% ethanol (EtOH), or 50% EtOH were examined using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activites, as well as nitric oxide (NO) and anti-inflammatory cytokine measurements. The 20% EtOH extract of the PK cone shell decreased the NO and inflammatory cytokines secretion, and increased the ABTS radical scavenging, SOD, CAT, and GPx activities. This indicates that the 20% EtOH extract of the PK cone shell would be helpful in inflammation and oxidation systems. Therefore, the 20% EtOH extract of PK cone shell has great potential as a useful health food.